Coming Home
by Cormag Ravenstaff
Summary: After three years, Fang finds out Lightning is finally coming home.


**In a way, writing FLight always seems like I'm coming home. This fandom has some of my happiest memories. I doubt any pairing has really kept me reading so much fanfiction about them. The writers here are incredible, constantly finding ways to impress me.**

 **Writing these two puts me at ease, and not many things do that. I hope y'all enjoy this, and all my other FFXIII stories, written and to be written!**

 **This story is inspired by the song Coming Home. I dunno who sings it, because I'm too lazy to look it up. But this was all thought out and planned listening to that song. It's catchy.**

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 **Coming Home**

 _Dear Serah,_

 _Sorry for taking so long to respond to your last email. There were some things these past few months I had to take care of. Things I had to know for certain._

 _I'm sure you're curious and mad at me for lack of contact, but we can talk about that later. In person._

 _I'm on a transport back to Bodhum right now. I'll be home tomorrow._

 _Your Sister,_

 _Claire_

-X-

Serah's life was at an equilibrium. Or at least, it was until the email.

As depressing as it was, she had made her peace with Lightning leaving. Her sister had been gone for three years. Long enough for Serah to accept that Lightning might not ever return.

Her sister had her reasons. Serah didn't like them, but she'd come to accept them.

But then came the email after such a long time of no contact.

For months, the dark possibility of Lightning having died grew in her mind. It festered like an infected wound, sapping her strength and will to do anything. Snow had grown increasingly concerned for her wellbeing despite her protests otherwise.

And then in a single moment, all her worry gone. A short message (Even by Lightning's standards) in her inbox did more than any therapy ever did.

So what was Serah's reaction?

Well, to scream.

"Serah!" Snow shouted, leaping up from the couch. Unsuccessfully, too. He tripped on a discarded blanket as he tried to get on his feet.

By the time he got to Serah and her computer (Amidst great struggle), he was out of breath.

"Serah?" His breathing came in heaves.

She turned her head, as if just realizing he was there. She jumped, hand over her heart. "Snow, you scared me!"

Serah saw her husband pause and take a deep breath. "Sorry, honey." He forced the words out. "But you screamed, so forgive me if I was a bit worried."

A wide smile spread over her face, tears flecking her eyes. "Lightning is coming home."

-X-

All it took to get Fang over to the Farrons' was a short voicemail from Serah telling her Lightning was coming home.

She knocked on the door ferociously, wearing a small dent in the wood. Her knocking only grew in intensity until Snow opened the door.

The huntress burst through, past Snow, and right to Serah. "When is she coming home." It wasn't a question.

"Hello to you too, Fang."

Her eyes twitched. "Serah, don't withhold this from me!"

"Tomorrow," grinned Serah. "After three years, she gives me one day of notice for when she's coming back. Typical Lightning."

"Typical Lightning," sighed Fang. "Sorry, Serah. I thought maybe this was a joke."

"I wouldn't joke about this!" Serah frowned. "You know that."

Fang nodded. "I know. I'm just not thinking rationally, you know?"

Serah smiled. "Well, we have to get ready, don't we?"

"Huh?" Fang snapped out of her stupor.

Snow cleared his throat. "I suggested a welcome back party."

Fang's eyes widened. "That's perfect! Shit, but we have to get ready. And I know nothing about parties."

A laugh answered her. "You're lucky I'm here," Serah replied.

-X-

The entire gang helped put it together. Lightning had sent a message to Serah that she'd arrive around midnight. So with a deadline hot on the clock, preparations began.

Serah became mistress of the kitchen. She resolutely stated there would be nothing less than a feast for her sister's return. Vanille quickly decided to be her helper, and that left Hope, Snow, Sazh and Fang to be their errand boys.

In between trips to the store, Fang ducked off into the bathroom and closed the door.

She'd hid it well, but it had finally hit her in the store: Lightning was coming home.

Fang bit her lip, tearing into the skin a fraction. The night Lightning had left never left her. It haunted her steps every day.

" _No, Fang."_

"Fang?" A soft knock came at the door, startling Fang out of her stupor.

 _Fuck._ Her arms shook as if a tremor passed through them. "Yeah?" she croaked. With a cough, Fang cleared her throat. "Yeah?" she said, louder.

"It's me," Vanille said, and the doorknob jiggled. "Can I come in?"

Fang stood up, not even realizing she'd sat down. Her hand twisted the knob, unlocking the door but not opening it. Vanille immediately opened the door and shut it.

"Fang?" Her eyes whipped up and down her sister. Without another thought, her arms wrapped around the tall Pulsian. "What's going through your head?"

She pulled her younger sister closer. "I guess I don't know whether I'm going to get my best friend back or someone who's going to hate me."

Vanille nodded, expecting her words. "Don't forget your first reaction was to run over to Serah's as fast as you could when you heard the news. If you still feel that way about her, I think you need to talk to her. I don't think she'd be coming back unless she was ready to talk to you."

The older sister nodded. Vanille made sense, per usual. She had an odd habit of doing that.

"I'll see if I can get any details out of Serah for you," Vanille assured. She broke apart from Fang and put her hands on her hips. "But back to work for you, missy! I won't have Lightning return to a half assed welcome back party!"

"I'll show you missy, _missy_ ," Fang cackled as she reached over to try and grab Vanille, but the younger sister cleverly evade her grasp.

-X-

It was at least two hours past midnight. She hadn't arrived.

Sazh had left ten minutes ago, instructing them to apologize to Lightning. But Dajh had school the next day. Snow, tired from being Serah's bitch the whole day (His words, not hers), had passed out on the couch. Hope had retreated to the kitchen to counsel a distraught Serah.

None of them said it, but everyone thought it: Lightning blew them off. Serah had called her multiple times with no avail.

Fang had collapsed in a chair across from Snow, watching the giant of a man snore softly. Vanille had been with her, but had gone to check on Serah in the kitchen.

She hadn't spoken in over an hour. All her hopes were stomped on.

Fang just felt tired.

The huntress didn't know what time her eyes closed. Her light sleep come on gently.

" _Hey, Fang," Lightning greeted her softly. She sat on the swinging bench, rocking back and forth._

 _Fang took the spot next to her, closer than she'd ever dared to before. Whereas Lightning might have once made a fuss about it, or scooted away, now she only briefly flicked her eyes down. The two had grown closer, fueled by Fang's poorly hidden feelings for the sergeant._

 _The huntress leaned back, spreading her arms across the back of the swing. Sneaking a glance at the very attractive woman next to her, she said, "You look like you've got your head in the thunderclouds."_

 _Lightning almost cracked a smile, but the hint withered away as soon as it arrived. "Just…a lot on my mind."_

" _A gil for your thoughts?" Fang rested her hand on Lightning's thigh. It wasn't the first time Fang had done it, but Lightning shifted uncomfortably. The brunette drew her hand back immediately._

 _Fang's arm moved from the back of the swing to Lightning's shoulders. "Light, you know you can talk to me—"_

" _Fang," interrupted Lightning. She seemed to stew on her words for a long time. "How…how do you feel about me?"_

Code red! _screamed her mind. Fang panicked briefly before she dug up a moment of courage._

" _I love you."_

 _Lightning stood up, sending the swinging bench shaking. Fang caught a glimpse of her face. It was stone cold, like she used to act around Fang._

" _Lightning…" Fang's words bubbled with anxiety. "Do you—"_

" _No, Fang."_

Her eyes slowly opened. Snow's snoring had ceased, and so had his presence in the room. In fact, it just seemed to be Vanille and Serah sitting on the couch across from her. They didn't seem to know she was awake.

 _What time is it?_

Late, for sure. If Hope had given up, then she must have been out for some time.

"—terminal, the doctors said." Serah's voice was quiet, most likely so as to not wake Fang.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Vanille asked, both her hands grasping one of Serah's.

Serah chuckled through tears. "We fought about that. A lot. I wanted to tell you all, and she didn't. I guess she won that fight."

"I thought she trusted us," Vanille said, hurt.

"I'm sure it was for some dumb reason about not wanting to worry you all," Serah said with a wave of her hand. "You know Claire, nothing makes sense with her."

"So that's why she left?"

Serah nodded. "There was some sort of experimental procedure a doctor was willing to try. He was hardly a doctor, though. But she wanted to try it, for some reason. And by some miracle, a year after she left, it was gone."

Vanille squeezed Serah's hand. "That's great! But…why hasn't she come home before now?"

The pink haired woman shrugged with a chuckle mixed with tears. "I wish I knew. She'd never tell me."

Fang snapped her eyes shut as Vanille turned her head towards her. "Do you think it has to do…?"

Serah sighed. "Maybe. I certainly intended to ask her."

With that, Vanille walked Serah up to her room. Vanille never returned downstairs and Fang assumed she too went to sleep.

Fang felt herself return to sleep with a sense of disappointment.

-X-

A doorbell woke Fang. Her eyes immediately locked onto the clock on the wall. She'd been asleep for an hour.

Yawning, Fang stood up and walked to the door. With her mind on auto-pilot, she opened the door.

A familiar woman stood there, her hand poised to ring the bell again. She smiled, _how long had it been since I've seen that?_ and said, "Hello, Fang."

She blinked twice, and then her mouth fell open. "Lightning?"

"In the flesh," she chuckled. Her best friend seemed…lighter. Different.

"We thought you weren't coming." Fang's mind tried to get itself into gear and out of its tired state, but it was not an instant process.

"I booked the wrong bus ticket." Lightning quirked another smile. "I haven't needed to use buses in a while, so cut me a little slack."

"Um," Fang gestured absently behind her. "Do you want to come in?"

A hand rested on her shoulder before Fang could continue. And then something rested on her lips, far more pleasant.

Lightning pulled away. She broke eye contact, "Uh, sorry if that was too forward—"

"Light," interrupted Fang. "You can be forward whenever you damn well please if that's the result. But, before any of that, I need answers."

A sigh, but her face was the picture of understanding. "You all do. But I'd rather only explain once to everyone. But the short version, I was afraid."

"Afraid? Of what?"

"You, mostly. I'm sorry for how I treated you back then. I don't deserve it, but I'd like the chance to show you how I've changed." Lightning's eyes never left hers.

Fang smiled. "I think we can make that work. But your longer version of the story better be worth it."

Lightning scoffed. "Good to see you haven't changed." She leaned in for another kiss. Fang happily obliged. "Let's go inside."

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 **Author Notes: I've wanted to write this for a long time! I hope you enjoyed it!**


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